Remember the recent crisis in the Legislature when the NB Liberals were trying to bring down the ruling Tories? Remember how definitive the Premier was about the October 2007 election date? Don’t forget he prefers fixed election dates. Remember Al Hogan and his ardent support for the Premier’s principles on this?
Ahh, it’s amazing what a poll or two can do to your ‘principles’. The Premier’s quote in the T&T today:
“My preferred date is Oct. 15, 2007 and, if things stay the same, it will be then. If things change, it could be before.”
Conveniently, as the story goes, Peter Mesheau will be stepping down this fall triggering a minority situation and ‘forcing’ the Premier to go to the polls.
Maybe I should be a soothsayer after all. Remember I recently predicted Lord would go to the polls before Statistics Canada releases its population data from the 2006 Census which will confirm that the population has declined for two straight Census periods -2001 and 2006 – the first time in the history of New Brunswick that we are in a sustained population decline. Imagine trying to rectify this reality with the ‘prosperity for all’ messaging.
No, it makes more sense for the Tories to go to the polls this fall, after a goodies budget and while Lord is rising a mini-wave. The logic is that he gets re-elected, the Census numbers get released. There will be anger for 35 seconds and then reality sets in and we get back to the comfortably numb position of ‘prosperity for all’ – as long as you actually stay in New Brunswick.
Wouldn’t it be neat to have a slightly alternative scenario? How about a politician tackling this issue head on? How about a politician clearly articulating the realities and their proposed solutions? How about a political party staking their electoral success on it?
Nah.
This is New Brunswick.
We prefer to be misled. It’s easier.